Toothbrush



May 9, 1933. w K DAvlS 1,908,509

TOOTHBRUSH Filed Nov. 8, 1950 Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE WALTER. K. DAVIS, F CHICAGO, ILLIN'OIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0RUTH J'. ?ALLASCH, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS u 'roomausn Application ledNovember B, 1930. Serial No. 494,421.

The invention relates to tooth brushes, and has as its primary objectthe provision of a tooth brush which insures that substantially all ofthe surfaces of the teeth will be brushed and cleansed when it isproperly used.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improvedv toothbrush which will enable one to brush ones teeth in a minimum of time andwith relatively little e'ort.

Tooth brushes embodying the invention preferably comprise a handle fromwhich three relatively flexible arms project. Each of the arms isprovided with one or more rows of bristles, the construction being `suchthat the outer, inner and top surfaces of a tooth may be brushed at thesame time. Thearms which hold the bristles for brushing the invner andouter surfaces of the tooth are preferably constructed so that they mayflex when the bristles are applied to the teeth and hold y the tips ofone set of bristles substantially parallel with the tips of theoppositely disposed set of bristles. This insures that all of thebristles will engage the teeth.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following detalled description progresses, reference being had tothe. accompanying drawing,

wherein Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation of a tooth brush whichembodies the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the tooth brush shownin Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. y Fig. 4 is atransverse section taken through a tooth brush which embodies -anotherform of the invention, and

a tooth brush which embodies still another form of the invention.

Referring for the present to Figs. 1 to 3,

inclusive, wherein enlarged views of a tooth brush embodying theinvention are shown,

' inner and outer surfaces of the teeth.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken through i that they may be attachedthereto by any suitable means (not shown), if it is so desired. The armsare preferably yielding and are preferably constructed from celluloid,rubber, a phenolic condensation product, or any equivalent plasticmaterial.

The arms 11, 12 and 13 are provided with rows of bristles 14, 15 and 16,respectively, there being av single row of bristles on each of the arms.The arms 12 and 13 and their @c respective bristles are disposed inopposed relation, as best shown in Fig. 3, the bristles 14 beingdisposed at substantially right angles to the bristles 15 and 16. Asbest shown in Fig. 2, the arms 12 and 13 converge to- 65 Ward their freeends.

llt will be readily understoodthat the arms 11, 12 and 13 may beinserted in ones mouth to brush the molars, the arms'being inserted sothat the bristles 15 and 16 engage the inner 70 and outer surfaces ofthe teeth and the bristles 14 engage the occlusal or top surfaces of theteeth. The brush may then be reciprocated so that the several rows ofbristles will brush all of the exposed surfaces o'f the teeth. t5Obviously, the arms 12 and 13 may sprlng into the positions wherein theyare show n 1n dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that substantially all of thebristles 15 and 16 wi]l engage the From the above description, it willbe readily understood that the improved brush may be employed tosimultaneously cleanse the occlusal, lingual and buccal surfaces of themolars and that it may be similarly` employed to brush the lingual andlabial surfaces of the other teeth.

A tooth brush embodying another form of the invention is shown in Fig.4. rl'his brush preferably comprises a handle (not shown) which issubstantially identical with the above described handle 10 and isprovided with arms 11a, 12a and 13a, the arms 11a, 12a and 13a beingprovided with rows 14a are provided in place of the single row 100 ofbristles 14, shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. The arms 11a, 12a and 13aare preferably flexible so that they may assume the same positions asthe arms 11, 12 and 13 assume when they are applied to the teeth.

Still another form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein atooth brush is shown which comprises a handle (not shown) substantiallyidentical with the above lo described handle 10. The brush shown in Fig.comprises flexible arms 11b, 12b and 13b which are provided withinwardly ex-. tending'bristles arranged in much the same manner as thebristles shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive. Two rows of bristles 146 ares rovided upon the arm 11b. The arm 13b as two rows of bristles 16?) and160. The arm 12b has two rows of bristles 15b and 150. The bristles 150and 160 are engageable with the upper rtions of the side surfaces of atooth an are preferably shorter than the bristles b and 1Gb. Thisconstruction is particularly advantageous when the brush v is employedto clean the molars, as these teeth are narrower adjacent the gums thanthey are adjacent their occlusal surfaces and, therefore, the bristles15b and 166 may project beyond the bristles 150 and 16o to engage thenarrower portions of the teeth adjacent the gums. A

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and sco of the. invention as disclosed in theappen ed claim, in which it is my intention to claim all noveltyinherent in my invention as broadly as possible, in view of the priorart.

-What `I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: Atooth brush comprising: a handle ortion formed of iiexiblematerial;three ristlc-supporting arms formed integral with the handle portion,two of said arms being 1n opposed r'elationshi with their free endsnormall toed inwar y and adapted to flex outwar y; when engaging a widetooth, and

a .set of ristles on each of said arms, said bristles being engageablesimultaneously with a tooth and one set of said bristles having ltheirbrushing ends disposed to face the brushing ends ofano r set ofbristles.

In testimony whereo I hereunto aix my name, this 4th day of November,1930.

WALTER K. DAVIS.`

